PNCA News

Finn Grey ’10 interviews Carole Lung aka Frau Fiber, who was in residence at Museum of Contemporary Craft in partnership with Pacific Northwest College of Art from March 18–27. Grey also speaks with project assistant and PNCA Intermedia student Austin Adkins.

Frau Fiber, itinerant textile worker, addresses Portland’s garment culture by “hacking” a Columbia Sportswear design for rain gear and sewing multiple sets of the garment using a bicycle-powered sewing machine constructed specifically for this project. High Performance Apparel Production (HPAP) is a two-person apparel micro-manufacturing unit consisting of Frau Fiber (operating the sewing machine) and volunteer citizens (providing power by pedaling the bike). The synchronized efforts of this Production Team are necessary to accomplish daily manufacturing goals of two pieces of high performance apparel each day, for seven days. Manufacturing takes place throughout Portland’s shopping districts and items are for sale at prices based on local wages at Columbia Sportswear manufacturing locations. A Manufacturing Code of Conduct for KO Enterprises are developed and posted on the machine.

For more information about Gestures of Resistance, visit the Museum of Contemporary Craft “web site”:http://www.museumofcontemporarycraft.org/exhibitions/index.php?f=2010_01_gestures.